House Buying Tips

Key Takeaways Real-estate underwriting is the third-party process of deciding how much risk a lender or insurer will accept on your transaction. You will typically encounter three: a mortgage underwriter (loan), a title insurance underwriter (deed risk), and a homeowners insurance underwriter (property risk). Mortgage underwriting reviews credit, debt-to-income, bank statements, employment, and the appraised […]

Key Takeaways A strong offer in a competitive market leads with price and certainty — fewer contingencies, strong earnest money, flexible closing date, and a fully underwritten pre-approval. Research recent comparable sales (comps) before writing your offer — offering above list price without comp support often triggers appraisal gaps. Personal letters to sellers have become

Key Takeaways You can use 401(k) funds to buy a house, but most plans allow only two paths: a loan (up to 50% of vested balance or $50,000, repaid with interest to yourself) or a hardship withdrawal. A 401(k) loan avoids the 10% early withdrawal penalty and income taxes, but requires repayment within 5 years

Key Takeaways The right time to buy is when your finances are stable, your housing needs are clear, you plan to stay for at least 3–5 years, and you have adequate cash for both down payment and reserves. Trying to time the market (waiting for rates to fall or prices to drop) is rarely successful

Key Takeaways ‘Under contract’ means both parties have signed a purchase agreement and the transaction is in the due diligence / closing preparation phase. Under contract does not mean sold — the deal can still fall through due to failed contingencies, inspection findings, appraisal gaps, or financing issues. The seller’s obligations during the under-contract period: